Is McDonald's Open On Christmas Day 2020?

Before you judge anyone for eating at McDonald's on Christmas day, consider the many situations that could lead to you the Golden Arches on the holiday. Take, for instance, a long drive cross-country to a visit family at the last minute with screaming kids in the backseat, who won't rest until those nuggets are in their mouths. Maybe you're taking a break from roasting chestnuts on an open fire to hunt down a McFlurry, or want a quick breakfast. We won't judge — and what a true gift it would be for an ice cream machine at McDonald's to actually work.

Perhaps you're following pandemic health guidelines and treating yourself to a burger, while you avoid a holiday gathering. Or maybe you're an atheist and don't celebrate Christmas at all, or count yourself in one of the over 4,000 other religions, faith groups, denominations, cultures or tribes for whom Christmas is just another day (via The Register). Honestly, anything could lead you to Mickey D's on Christmas day, so you'll want to be prepared.

The thing is, most McDonald's are independently owned, so hours may vary from store to store. Some may remain open, while others won't. According to McDonald's website, "Only a handful of McDonald's restaurants open on Christmas Day, please refer to the restaurant locator to confirm if your local restaurant is open during the Christmas period and what times they are trading." It's a very wise idea to call ahead to see if your location will be open.

There are a handful of other fast-food chains that may be open as well. Thrillist did us all a solid and compiled them for last year. So did Good Housekeeping. They also did the same for grocery store chains, which may be great to have in your back pocket in case you run out of butter or you set a pie on fire and need a quick replacement. And although it appears that Starbucks pays their employees time-and-a-half for working Christmas Day, or at least did so last year — do the real holiday MVPs a favor and leave a fat tip.